Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-07-14
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
Roast Beef and How to prepare IL for the
Misunderstanding Fruit.
ROAST BEEF.

An English traveller, as celebrated
| for his knowledge of good living as for
his literary work, is credited with having
said that he could count on his fingers
the places in America where roast beef
was decently cooked, says Mrs. Hum
gerford in the Ladies Home Companion.
1t generally looked as if it were par
boiled, he said, and tasted as if it had
been smothered.
A great deal depends upon the selec-
ton of the meat. The best after the
| porter-house cuts are the rib roasts,
the sixth, seventh and eighth ribs be-
ing the choicest. The bones should be
remoyed-they will make good con-
tribution to the soup-pot-and the meat
should be rolled up closely and tied
with a strong Irvine. After it is
| dished and on the table the carver
| should cut slices clear across the roll,
thus leaving it in perfectly good shape
for the second serving. If roast is
rather rare the slices can be taken
from both ends of the roll, and the
middle part, when re-roasted the next
day, will look and taste like fresh
roast In selecting beef see that the
lean is bright red and intersected with
little fibers of fat. and the solid fat
should be firm and white The meat
| from large, young animal Is prefer
able to any other.
There are few kitchens in this
country where it is convenient TO really
roast the meat in the orthodox manner
in front of the fire. but with care an
excellent counterfeit of the genuine
roast beef of old England can be
achieved. In the first place, after roll
ing the beef as directed above rub it on
each side with drippings and put it in
IA pan without any water. Place 1T in
such a way that neither fiat side will
rest on the pan; if the roll is not wide
enough for this position to be main
tanned, prop it up with Il clothes-pin or
small stick on each side. Let the
oven be quite hot, and open the door
at least once in ten minutes to basic the
beef with drippings. At the last bast-
ing sprinkle it with salt and flour and
brown it for ten minutes. If the oven
burns the fat too much, leave the door
open little while rather than change
the hampers; the air thus admitted will
benefit the beef Ten minutes to the
pound is the proper allowance of time
for cooking. If rare beef is not pleas
ing to the diners, more time must be
| given, and less when the preference is
for very rare meat.
| 1t is not now considered the proper
thing in city houses TO offer a made
gravy with roast beef, the red Juice
that follows the knife in carving being
sufficient dressing. but that should boz
matter of taste, and there can be no
objection to made gravy if the fat is all
| removed. All the grease can be poured
from the pan after the meat is cooked
and a little flour busted upon the pan
and allowed to brown. Pepper and
salt may be added with cup of soup
stock, or even water. Let il boil mp
once, then add a heaped teaspoonful of
corn-starch dissolved in II little water,
and boil for three minutes. A tea
spoonful of grated horseradish is Il
pleasant addition to the gravy, which
should be strained before serving, and
thinned witha little boiling water ii too
thick, and tasted to be certain that the
flavor IS agreeable. Probably one
reason that gravy is falling into dis
reputc is the great thickness and awful
greasincss of the ropy, tastelcss sub
stance that too oftea occupies the
gravy dish.
have spoke of the second roasting
of piece of beef being nearly if not
| quite equal to the first If we'll managed,
| but Of course this is only when the beef
is cooked rare. If it is we'll done the
first day it is hopeless to try roasting
| it again, but it can be served Us braized
beef, beef la chatabriand, or a Ia jar
diniere, all of which preparations are
simple enough ii spite Of their alarm
| ing French names, and very nice as a
change from the usual roast and boiled
meat alterations that prevail in great
number of families.